Relative Sweetness
Chelsea Refinery (NZ Sugar Co. Ltd.)
{find URL} quotes the following Relative Sweetness of the following:
| Sucrose | 100
|
| Glucose | 70
|
| Fructose | 140
|
| Invert Sugar | 110
|
| Lactose | 40
|
| Maltose | 50
|
Hence by switching some dextrose for sucrose the final product will taste less sweet. A lot of brewers use from 20 to 25% dextrose and some even more. The % used is kept dowm somewhat because of the slightly higher price. I
(DR) myself have been using dextrose (dry powder form) for some time now and notice I seem to get a less sweet tasting alcohol. Obviously the difference in finished alcohol is marginal and nothing like the Relative Sweetness figures quoted.
Note that whisky is largely made from barley (simple sugars) and neutral grain alcohol which is mostly made from corn or maize (corn sugar = glucose). Bourbon likewise is is almost solely
corn or maize. Rum in comparison is almost solely made from sugar (sucrose). Compare the 2 and you will quickly get the idea. The difference is minimal rather than profound. After all alcohol is alcohol, is alcohol, is alcohol. It is just that it gives the finished alcohol a fuller and
rounder profile.
Note also that the majority of New Zealand alcohol made under licence here is mostly made from lactose which has a sweetness of 40.
